2022 RCFN Annual Meeting
Thank you for joining us!
River City Faith Network Annual Meeting
October 16, 2022
Huguenot Road Baptist Church, Richmond VA
3 p.m. Celebration
A slide show of River City Faith Network ministries preceded the call to order. Event was livestreamed on RCFN Facebook page.
Chair Bob Thompson called the meeting to order. Host Pastor Bob Lee gave a welcome and invocation. Rev. Phillip D. Brown, Pastor for Music, Worship, and College Ministries, Huguenot Road Baptist Church, led the attendees in a hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns.”
Recognitions
Interim Executive Director Steve Allsbrook recognized the RCFN Staff, Rev. Tom Williams (new pastor at Carlisle Avenue Baptist Church), other RCFN pastors, Rev. Dr. Valerie Carter Smith (Executive Director/Treasurer, WMU of Virginia), and other guests in attendance. Allsbrook also delivered regrets from Dr. James Hamacher, Middle District Association Executive Director and Rev. Arnold ‘Win’ Davis, Dover District Association Executive Director of Missions, who were unable to attend.
Business Session
Personnel Chair Cecil Chambers presented Board nominations for the Ministry Placement Committee: Chair Susan Hughes, Jennifer Turner, Cathy Tatum. Motion carried.
Ministry Placement Committee Chair Nancy King presented the RCFN Leadership Roster for 2022-23 (copy attached). No nominations were presented from the floor. Motion carried.
Stewardship Chair David Bailey presented the RCFN Proposed Budget for 2023. There were no questions or changes and motion carried.
Nancy King, Chair of the ad hoc RCFN Document Review Committee, presented the committee’s report (copy attached) with proposed revisions to RCFN’s Bylaws. On behalf of RCFN’s Board of Directors, King moved the adoption of the proposed revisions. Discussion included a question about a possible error in the wording of Article IV. Section C. Bob Palmer (messenger, First Baptist Church) moved and Wesley Garrett (messenger, Friendship Memorial Baptist Church) seconded that we delete “a majority of” from that section of the proposed revisions to the Bylaws. The remaining wording would read, “The quorum for all Network meetings and Board of Directors meetings shall be those members present and voting, provided adequate notice has been given to the members.” (This duplicates the wording of Article III, Quorum in the prior Bylaws.) Motion carried.
Steve Allsbrook introduced the Rev. Jerry Jones, a retired missionary and member of RCFN’s Personnel Committee. Jones gave a testimony about the ministry opportunities he has driving for a ride-sharing service and encouraged the congregation to share the love of God with both riders and drivers.
Rev. Tom Williams led a prayer. Then Rev. Phillip D. Brown sang an arrangement of “Love Lifted Me” accompanied by Dwight Graham on the piano.
Joyce Clemmons gave the Clerk’s Report: Members present: 66. By category: staff, 7; Board members (not messengers), 10; Messengers, 30; other attendees, 19.
Bob Thompson issued a call for other business items or reports to be addressed and there were none.
Executive Search Committee Chair Philip Turner recognized the eight members and summarized their work. He reported that the search committee felt God brought one candidate to their attention and the committee confirmed her as the candidate. He also reported the Board unanimously affirmed the candidate. On behalf of the Executive Search Committee, Rev. Turner moved that RCFN call the Rev. Dr. Maria Lynn to serve as Executive Director and Mission Strategist, with her employment effective November 1, 2022. Chair Thompson announced a ballot vote and gave messengers instructions regarding marking their ballot YES of NO. Tellers collected the ballots, and Board members counted the ballots.
During the counting, Brown led the congregation in singing “To God Be the Glory.”
Teller’s Report: Chair Thompson announced that Rev. Dr. Maria Lynn received 100% affirmative votes and thanked the Executive Search Committee for their dedication to the search. He introduced Rev. Dr. Lynn as the Executive Director and Mission Strategist-Elect.
Lynn humbly accepted the call to serve, expressed her appreciation, and committed herself to this new ministry assignment. An installation service will be planned for early in 2023.
Gratitude and Announcement
Chair Thompson expressed appreciation to Pastor Bob Lee and the Huguenot Road Baptist Church, Rev. Brown and Mr. Graham, other staff and volunteers for making their church available for the 2022 RCFN Annual Meeting.
Personnel Chair Cecil Chambers thanked Steve Allsbrook for his dedicated two years as Interim Executive Director of RCFN. Appreciation was expressed by those in attendance and he was presented a gift for an evening of dining with his wife, Kathy. Allsbrook thanked the congregation for the opportunity to serve. He invited Lynn, her husband Randy, and RCFN staff members to gather in the Church Commons where members of the congregation could greet them.
Chair Thompson adjourned the meeting. Allsbrook pronounced the benediction.
Joyce Clemmons, Clerk/Historian
Materials for Meeting
Please see the list for items that
were reviewed at the meeting: